On Oct. 8, Coinbase broadcasted a live, in-person trading tournament from Singapore, offering a $150,000 grand prize for the eventual Coinbase Champion and promoting the gathering as a spectator sport.
Promoted on the Token 2049 Champions Cup page, the contest was framed as an esports-style perpetual-futures competition showcasing 10 participants and a single victor. A live leaderboard followed the contestants’ profit and loss in dollar terms, while the production combined financial updates with dramatic walkouts, humor, and audience participation.
By 6:54 p.m. UTC, the official event page showed Intern leading with $4,263.37 in profit and loss. As the broadcast began, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong shared the event on social media, noting that a champion would walk away with $150,000 within the hour.
Coinbase’s initial announcements emphasized that the contest was happening live and streaming directly from Singapore.
Throughout the broadcast, Coinbase highlighted multiple participants through introduction and walkout clips, including Ansem (@blknoiz06), @izebel_eth, and @intern. Additional commentary mentioned @Goupenguin, @osf_rekt—who received a high-energy entrance—and @insomniacxbt.
The company added lighthearted commentary, joking that @Goupenguin was trading while watching cats and that @intern chose to focus on making memes while supporting Jez. Intern, who eventually claimed the top spot on the leaderboard, remained a running gag throughout the broadcast.
As the competition progressed, Coinbase reported that @osf_rekt had climbed to first place at 1:32 p.m. UTC. Just seven minutes prior, an update for @insomniacxbt noted that exactly 35 minutes remained in the race for the grand prize.
A separate prize drawing for Coinbase cup viewers
Viewers located in eligible regions were encouraged to visit the Champions tab inside the Coinbase app to vote for a contestant. Official guidelines confirmed it was a complimentary promotion requiring no purchase, meaning that spending money or executing trades did not increase anyone’s odds of winning.
Only ballots cast for the victorious trader were entered into a random drawing. In the event of a tie for top profit and loss, votes for any of the tied contestants became eligible.
The terms outlined three distinct voting rounds, permitting one selection per round for a maximum of three votes per person. Participation was restricted to eligible app users who met the minimum age requirement of 18 (or the local age of majority), along with specific jurisdictional and account onboarding prerequisites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Coinbase Singapore trading cup?
It was an esports-style, in-person perpetual-futures trading tournament streamed live from Singapore on Oct. 8, featuring 10 traders competing for a $150,000 grand prize.
Who won the trading competition?
A trader known as Intern topped the displayed standings late in the event with $4,263.37 in profit and loss and was crowned the first Coinbase Champion.
Did viewers have a chance to win anything?
Yes, eligible viewers could vote for contestants through the Champions tab in the Coinbase app. Votes cast for the winning trader qualified participants for a random prize drawing.
Did participating in the viewer drawing require making a purchase?
No, the official rules stated it was a free promotion where no purchase was necessary, and executing trades or spending money did not improve the chances of winning.
